Strawberry Seduction
by DarkWatersWithin
Summary: With Daniel sick Steve ends up playing nurse for a few days at the cost of a date with Catherine but when Danny recovers and tries to make it up to him it could cost Danny his life. Sequel to Any Cost! No smut but there is the canon Steve/Cath pairing.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Here we go folks a sequel to Any Cost! Trying something a little different for me, starts out pretty light hearted but will get more serious later! Hope you like it!**

Chapter 1

Steve McGarrett sat at his desk weeding through paperwork feeling like a chisel and blow torch would be a more appropriate, effective, management technique. He was hoping to get as much of the stack cleared away for the weekend. He leaned away from the tedium, back popping loudly, and surveyed his team. Kono was diligently working away at her forms, nearly finished. Off aways was Chin Ho and Max comparing walking canes, not that Max used his anymore. He seemed content and relaxed, the conversation easy, but whenever a person walked by, paying them no attention, he darkened and shrunk away subtly. Unless you were looking you wouldn't notice but it was like a neon sign to Steve. He was still deeply scarred both physically and mentally. It was going to be a long while before he was truly healed. He talked to them sometimes, everyone except Danny that is, about the torture he went through to protect Grace. There was a strange rift between the two. Not of anger, distrust or anything like that but a sense of unworthiness. Danny felt he could never make up for the suffering and Chin believed he hadn't done enough leaving both feeling undeserving of the others friendship. It left them both awkward and strained in each others presence. A harsh wheezing cough drew his attention back to the Jersey boy. He was slumped back in his chair, arms folded tight around his torso, shivering with beads of sweat rolling down his flushed red neck. It had been no secret that he was ill but he stubbornly denied the fact. It had been a week now of him refusing to accept that he had a bad case of flu or worse. Another hacking cough which startled everyone, sending a sharp squiggle line of ink across Kono's form making her curse and pull out a fresh one, and Steve threw down his own pen.

"That's it." His chair screeched along the floor as he jumped up and stormed over to Danny. "Get up, I'm taking you home."

"Wha?" Danny lurched giving Steve a small pang of guilt. He hadn't realized the man was asleep at his desk. His eyes were red rimmed, puffy, with dark circles smudged under them, and flushed with fever.

"C'mon, up, I'm taking you home."

"No 'mgood." He mumbled followed by a violent hacking cough that had the rest of the team eying him like a bio-hazard.

"Up up up." Steve chanted grabbing him by the scruff of his neck and pulling him from the chair. It should have required more force and involved more resistance but Danny was down to his last drop of energy. He already knew he wouldn't win so he surrendered and was dragged out to his car he never drove. He sank into the passenger seat and tried to curl himself up into a ball. The bright sunlight burned, the breeze froze him and the heat roasted him like a pig on a spit. He hated life today. He could vaguely hear Steve lecturing him about letting himself get this sick but he wasn't listening. His head throbbed too much to care. He must have drifted to sleep because he was suddenly jerking awake in front of Steve's house with a bag from the local pharmacy filled with stuff he supposed was for him.

"Not my house." He muttered glaring at Steve's garage door.

"No it's not, you're not staying alone in that shoebox you call an apartment while you're this sick."

"M'fine, stay a' my place." The argument was destroyed with a coughing fit that left him leaning heavily on the car and rasping desperately for oxygen. He was helpless as Steve hauled him into the house, tossing him into the nearest recliner, and began fishing through the grocery bag.

"Drink." Steve ordered popping open a can of ginger ale. Danny took it but only stared at it, his stomach roiling just hearing the fizz. Steve let it go for the moment as he began making up the couch into a bed then warmed up some soup and put it in a mug followed by a couple of pills.

"Going home. I'm fine." he grumbled lumbering out of the recliner only to have himself deftly whirled around finding himself sprawled on the couch, not a drop of his soda spilled.

"You're not and you're not, now shut up, drink you soda, eat your soup and take these."

"No, don't need them." He batted away at him but Steve would not be deterred.

"Do it willingly or I force feed it too you? Do you _want_ me to have to grind em up into a saline solution and stab you with a needle?" Danny eyed him warily calculating the reality of the threat then scooped up the pills and swallowed them back with soda abruptly.

"Animal."

"I want to see half that soup eaten when I get back or else." Steve ordered getting the blankets tucked around Danny and even put on a movie for him. He left minutes later to the snores of his sickly friend. "One done, one to go." He muttered heading back to the Palace. Chin Ho had a physical therapy appointment and it was his turn to drive him to and from as he was still restricted from any amount of driving. He found them gathered around a desk playing a fierce game of go-fish.

"He gonna live?" Kono inquired.

"Eventually."

"Time to go?" Chin asked getting that look of dread.

"Eh, you've got time to finish the round." He pulled up a chair watching as Max wholloped them all at the game. That light hearted charisma faded as they loaded up into the car. A tense silence took hold during the drive and while they waited for the therapist to finish with her previous patient. Steve kept quiet as he handed over the water bottle and prescribed ibuprofen. He swallowed it back and went back to chewing his lip anxious. These appointments were always productive but agony.

"Danny doing okay?" Chin asked quietly. Steve turned to look at him knowing he wasn't referring to the current bout of flu.

"He's pretty good Chin, worried he's let you down somehow. Grace wants to see you too. I think I heard something about a tea party? Or maybe it was a spa day." Chin squirmed.

"Yeah well, now's not a good time." Chin deflected.

"Chin Ho Kelly? You ready hun?" The clerk called him providing the perfect escape route from the conversation. Steve had been skirting closer and closer to the uncomfortable tension between the two. He seemed determined to force the issue while they were content to avoid it entirely. Steve sighed disappointed seeing him disappear into the private room. He felt a headache beginning from the strain of struggling to figure out how to fix things. Time passed slowly as he waited in the lobby, fielding a few phone calls to pass the time. After he drove Chin home after the appointment. He was pained and exhausted as usual and would be down for the count for the rest of the day. He helped Kono finish up paperwork then went back to settle in with Danny for the evening.

They passed the days in an easy routine with an ill but grumpy, more than usual, Daniel. Steve seldom made it to HQ on time having to tend his patient. The few discussions about a doctor visit ended up in such fierce rebuttals that Danny would plunge into a coughing fit lasting until he was blue in the face. Steve let it go for the time being. The lingering fever was persistent but not high enough to worrisome. He would practically force feed him chicken soup, medication, and ginger ale. They were thankfully low on cases allowing him to do midday visits combined with a little harassing just to keep Danny fresh and irked. Wednesday rolled around and his fever spiked.

"Danno, wake up Danno!" He shook his friend roughly but the man slapped his hand feebly.

"Smnghuba." He muttered unintelligibly. Steve huffed.

"C'mon Danny, time for more pills and food." Daniel groaned and tried to roll face first into the couch. He was too hot, quivering with cold and his body ached like he were a hundred and eighty. He just wanted to sleep buried in the seat cushion and wait to die.

"B'z''ff." He pulled the blankets up over his head to shut out the world only to have Steve rip them off making him yelp at the rush of shocking cool air.

"No no you get up. You need to eat, take drugs, shower, definitely, shower. I'm pretty sure you're growing cultures for bio-weapons."

"Jerk." Danny slurred as Steve hauled him upright frowning as he swayed.

"Eat, I mean it." He snapped pushing fresh of soup into his clammy hand interrupted by the doorbell. "I find you laying down again when I get back and I'm hosing you down in the yard instead of a nice hot shower you hear me?" He threatened wagging a finger at him heading towards the door.

"Hey Steve you read...You don't look ready to go?" Catherine scowled at his pajama bottoms and loose fit T-shirt which was probably a few days old.

"What? Dressed for wha...oh! Oh I'm so sorry! We had a date tonight!" Steve slapped his forehead feeling stupid.

"Yeah, _you_ obviously forgot." Steve wanted to shrivel up under a rock and die seeing the knock out, sexy slinky dress Cath was wearing that made his knees wobble a bit.

"No, yes, no it's just Danny." Catherine rose an eyebrow critically.

"Danny? You forgot about _this_ ," she waved her hand along her silhouette sensuously, "for Danny? Let me in I've gotta see what he's doing to you that's so much better than me."

"Wait Cath, it's not like...wait what do you mean what he's _doing_ to me?" He argued as she shoved her way into the room putting extra effort to swing her hips making him gulp and pant a little with yearning. She continued to the threshold of the living room then stopped.

"Awww, that's so sweet playing nurse for Danny. He looks pretty sick." Steve joined her irritated seeing the man was again asleep sitting upright.

"Yeah, he is. Fever spiked pretty bad a few hours ago. I was thinking if it didn't start coming down in a few hours I'd take him to the e.r. He's arguing of course."

"It's like having a little kid." Cath commented as Steve wrapped his arms around her and started petting the silky fabric but she smacked him good. "No dinner, no handsy." Steve sighed but squeezed her tighter.

"Alright, how bout you keep an eye on _the child_ while I pick up some more supplies and then we pretend he doesn't exist and eat dinner up stairs, get a little _handsy_?" Catherine snickered and hustled upstairs to steal a pair of his pajama pants and a shirt. It wasn't the dinner out they'd planned but the evening turned out to be pretty good. They found Danny's fever broke by morning as they got ready for work. He was getting some genuine rest so McGarrett let him alone for the most part. He filled a thermos of soup leaving it near him with a note and a baggie of pre-portioned pills. Cath grinned watching him get the man set up for the day getting minor rebellions like bickering children when Danny half-woke until he suddenly landed a kiss to his forehead and walked away leaving Danny spluttering.

"A kiss to the forehead?" Catherine questioned.

"Just checking the fever." He quipped.

"A thermometer would do the job."

"Yeah but a thermometer just doesn't get that look of abject horror." He snickered.

"That depends on where you stick it." Catherine rebutted. Steve stopped in his tracks staring at her mortified.

"I'm dating a monster!"


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thanks for the great reviews! Sorry this chapter is a bit short but it wouldn't nicely divide up any other way! Oh Danno our dearest Danno...this had to be done.**

Friday rolled around and Danny was much recovered. He had chosen to take the day off and resume work on Monday instead making it an even week off. He was still feeling pretty drained. He turned his attention to McGarrett's house. He'd felt the least he could do to repay the man, begrudging to admit that he'd needed it, for helping, was clean up the house a little among a few other things. He knew Steve had missed out on a date with Catherine because he was taking care of him. He knew they were trying for another date tonight to kick off her weekend of leave time. Steve had mentioned something about a paddleboarding excursion at sunset followed by a romantic dinner. Thinking about this struck Daniel with an idea and he pulled out his phone.

 _Don't worry about dinner after your date. I'll have something for you and Cath._

 _You're making us dinner for our date? Are you delirious?_

 _No jerk. I'm making sure you don't screw things up with Catherine. I'm obviously not going to manage a happy marriage so I'm making damn sure you and Cath do. For Gracie. She needs to know what a good relationship looks like_

 _If anyone's going to mess things up with me and Cat it's going to be you. I mean you were a complete failure with your own marriage. And who says I'm marrying Cat?_

 _I do._

 _Hahahahaha_

 _Animal_

 _I don't suppose I get a choice in whether I'm marrying her?_

 _No you schmuck. I'll have dinner ready by 8._

 _Love you Danno._

 _Hate you._

Danny tossed the phone again shaking his head. He stood thinking, the house once again sparkling, then sniffed his pits and gagged. Decision made. The next order of business was a hot shower with extra soap before he started dinner. He lingered under the hot spray longer than he'd intended but it seemed to melt away the last of his aches and he loved the almost painful sizzle the hot water left on his skin. He felt fantastic by the time he was hopping down the stairs. He had meant it about making sure Super Seal didn't screw things up with Catherine. Grace didn't have a single example to observe and follow as a proper healthy romance. She was getting old enough for it to matter soon. He was already hearing her ask questions that skirted dangerously close to the horrific idea of dating. Daniel shuddered as he pulled out the ingredients from the fridge and began chopping and frying. He was no Iron Chef but after so many lonely weeks and weekends on his own he could whip up a real good meal and a half decent dessert when he set his mind to it. Steaks on the grill, he was slicing fresh strawberries and dipping them in alternate whip cream and chocolate for dessert, or other things, when he heard the front door. He was scrambling to finish the last few strawberries when fire tore through his chest, oxygen rushing from his lungs. His knees shook as he pivoted, gripping the counter white knuckles.

"Wha? Who're...you?" He rasped and coughed feeling a sticky thick liquid spraying from his lips as the tall lanky man he didn't know stood before him, bloody knife in hand.

"I didn't want to do this but you left me no choice." He hissed, expression darkened and dangerous, voice oily like a snake. He shoved Danny hard sending him crashing to the ground flat on his back. Danny struggled onto his elbows dragging himself backwards in a feeble retreat gaining a few feet and fishing in his pocket for his phone. The man sauntered unconcerned after him, foot slamming down onto his wrist pinning it, then plunged the knife powerfully through the phone. Danny pawed at the knife but the man buried a hand in his hair and smashed his head twice against the floor. Danny went still his vision darkening from the blows and the blood loss, gravity crushing him to the floor. "This is all your fault."

"Nnngh.." Danny tried to call for help only to choke and cough again. He felt the man climb over him, kneeling to sit on his hips twirling a new knife. The Jersey man squirmed under him trying to escape but the first wound and the ensuing concussion left him weak. The man leaned in once again entwining his fingers through his now blood slicked hair pressing him firmly to the floor and aimed the knife.

"You _deserve_ this." He sneered piercing the blade deep into his flesh tortuously slow to extend the agony of his victim. He relished in his strained cry, a twinge of desperation of the man as he mauled him slowly, precisely with the blade, making every stab count. Danny panicked, having lost count of the wounds, as the pain mounted and his body grew heavy. The world was spinning and falling. He was being crushed and gutted helpless to buck off his attacker. He tried calling for help. Praying the neighbors would hear but any attempt earned a bash of the head to the hard floor beneath. He gasped for air but he just couldn't get any as the knife punctured him again and again stealing his breath. All consuming weakness flooded him in a rush, his body too heavy to move even a finger now, and his vision darkened.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Wow! I am so glad you are enjoying this so much! I just couldn't get this scenario outta my head and decided to work it up.**

Chapter 3

Steve plunged into the cool, but pleasantly so, water making a massive wave. He could hear Catherine yelp and laugh as a water wave washed over her. He surged from the water like a leaping whale and tossed his head shaking off the excess water.

"Maybe it's Me. Maybe it's Maybeline!" He chanted in a sultry voice. Cath giggled.

"It's the Maybeline." He leapt from the water in a smooth motion, more salty water flushed across the paddleboard. Steve stretched himself over Catherine whom had been languishing on her back on the board enjoying the setting sun.

"Ouch. So harsh. You should be gentle." He slid up a little higher putting his nose a little above her own, grinning like a chesire cat. "You wouldn't want to hurt my confidence." He pressed into a deep kiss that made her heart skip a little only breaking off desperate for air.

"Oh? Worried about your performance? Should I be concerned?" She teased as he buried his face into her shoulder and neck kissing and nipping lightly working down towards her chest.

"Oh you're going to pay for that!" He snarled huskily hands suddenly gripping the sides of the board.

"No wait!" She squealed as they flipped upside down into the water. They surfaced and she floated partly back onto the board, the water lapping at her naval, and puffed out her scant bikini clad chest with teasing grin. Steve exhaled heavily watching rivulets of water trace down her chest and swam to maul her, startled as his lips snogged the board.

"Hey! What?" He wiped his lips like the board had cooties and scowled seeing Catherine on the opposite side.

"Nah ah, you owe me dinner before dessert." Catherine swam a circle around him before backstroking towards the unoccupied beach. It was a little spot Steve knew about where they could enjoy some privacy. She let a long rolling wave take her all the way to the sandy shores and stretched out on the towel letting the last warm sun rays dry her. Steve joined her, on his side, pressed against hers and rubbed his hand along her inner thigh.

"You are _so_ gorgeous tonight."

"Oh, I know." She arched into him a little as he got a bit friskier and rolled to face him, planting kisses along his shoulder. She pulled back after a time and propped on her elbows. "Now about that dinner you owe me."

"Noo, stay, have a lil dessert before dinner." Steve pulled her back to nibble her earlobe. "Besides, Danny's probably still cooking."

"Danny? You have Danny cooking my romantic dinner?" She quirked an eyebrow as Steve teased the hem of her bikini bottom.

"Danny felt bad about our missed date last week. He insisted."

"Mmm, well maybe _he'll_ get some." She threatened rolling away and reaching for her shorts. She knew he was ready, very ready, but she was going to make him work for it.

"Such a cruel woman." He grumbled flopping onto the towel.

"C'mon, I'm hungry!" Steve sighed lying on the sand watching the, oh so tempting, Catherine running off to the car in her bikini. Grudgingly he got to his feet, plunging himself into the cold ocean to calm his racing heart. If Danny thought he was a crazy driver before, it was nothing compared to now as he raced home eager to get the romantic dinner over. Her teasing had him unbearably riled. They tumbled through the front door in a fit of snickering. Steve first noticed the lack of beep from the alarm and then there was the sharp tang smell in the air. From her expression Catherine had noticed the same. Hardly a second after their arrival a visceral wet cry sent them charging to the kitchen, hands darting to their hips, though the guns were absent, by habit. They exploded upon the grisly scene with Danny helpless below the attacker straddling him, surrounded by a mass of blood, sprayed all over and pooling thickly around him. The man sat on his hips with a knife plunged deep in his stomach with a feral, manic grin.

"Get off him!" Steve snarled animalistic but Catherine was far ahead of him lunging at the attacker as he leapt up to flee, dropping the knife recklessly. Every bone in his body ached to pursue the man after Cath but a wet choking drew him to remain behind.

"I got him!" Catherine called sounding more like a threat.

"Danno! Danno!" He dropped hard to his knees beside him cupping a hand around his clammy cold face tapping it lightly. He coughed and inhaled sharply but his breath caught, his throat clogging with blood then coughed again to expel it. "Damnit." Steve rolled him onto his side swearing further seeing the amount of blood draining from the corner of his mouth. He still gasped with a dangerous gurgle but he was breathing again. "Atta boy. Now wake up. C'mon open your eyes." He pressed two fingers to the pulse point shaken by its erratic weakness. He could hear crashing and shattering from a fierce fight upstairs but he wasn't worried. Catherine was a serious fighter. He was terrified by how cold his friend felt yet he didn't shiver, didn't move as Steve dragged a chair over and propped his legs up trying to slow down shock. There was so much blood, so many weeping wounds he didn't know what to address first.

"Get her away from me! Get her away!" The man screeched suddenly crashing down the stairs, landing on the coffee table, smashing it. He was cuffed and beaten to the point of deformity, sobbing as Catherine hustled down the stairs, lording his fear of her over him, taking one last hit to knock him out. She barely spared a minute to call HPD and an ambulance knowing Steve was focused on keeping him alive instead.

"What do you need me to do?" She joined on the other side of Danny throwing a blanket from the couch over his torso to keep him warm and pressing down on the worst of the wounds she could see.

"His pressure's...dropping too fast. I can't slow down the blood loss." Steve's voice shook as Danny's head lolled lifelessly in his palm as he fought to wake him. He didn't look away from his dying friend as Catherine jumped up digging through the cupboards for a moment.

"This is going to be hell but it'll buy him time." She explained tearing away what was left of his shirt free of his chest. Steve barely registered until the white salt rained down on onto the gaping stab wounds oozing thickly with blood. He reacted instantly and violently, back arching, limbs flailing as he screamed.

"Woah, easy! Easy Danno! Danno keep still!" He fought to press him down fearing worse injury. Daniel sobbed, tears leaving streaks through the blood, a surge of adrenaline coursing through his veins forcing him to consciousness. The cold burned deep in the marrow of his bones. He tried to escape it but anywhere he moved it followed him. Pain, cold and panic tormented him. He tried to shy away from it back into blissful oblivion but a voice called him back. He didn't want to return but he knew the voice. It was familiar, safe. He wanted to feel safe. He could see a blurred face above him but it would move away leaving a desperate urge to find it again.

"Sir you need to be still!" He was startled by the new strange voice and the slew of faces suddenly surrounding him.

"Nngh." He fought against the unknown people but he was so heavy and tired. He couldn't make his limbs move right.

"Shhh, it's okay Danno, it's okay keep looking at me. C'mon Danny look at me." He tracked the voice shakily until that familiar, secure face was in his fading vision again. "That's good Danno, that's good just stay with me." A pinch in his arm, both arms, hot and cold filling his veins, rough knuckles brushing away hot and wet from his face followed by something hard and hissing over his mouth and nose. He pushed at it desperate to escape.

"Leave it on Sir." He whimpered afraid, not fighting against the pull of blackness.

"No Danno st…" Lights flashing past, flash and gone, flash and gone, blinding and mesmerizing. Sounds floated all around him dull and distorted. That one familiar, safe face appeared again, blocking the light. "That's it Danno, good boy, stay with me." He was moving. No, his body was completely still, so frozen, yet he was traveling and time had moved. His mind couldn't track the changes. He tried to call for that face, Steve, the name to the face came, but there was something shoved deep into his throat.

"Sir stop! Mr. Williams you need that tube to breathe!" He didn't know what he was doing but it must have been wrong.

"Quit yelling at him you're just scaring him." Steve snarled from above him again. He whimpered fighting against the tube feeling a squeeze, only just realizing that someone held his hand.

"Sir you can't come back here. You need to wait Sir!" The hand holding his was suddenly gone and then everything was gone.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: So glad you're enjoying! Here's another chapter and answers! Not sure you'll like the answer but who would given the answer.**

Chapter 4

Steve paced angrily. He was a tiger in a cage without bars. The team was around him but they wisely kept a wide berth. He was dangerous so riled and tense. Hours had passed since they stormed the hospital with a barely alive Daniel. The medics were beside themselves he wasn't dead let alone conscious enough to search for Steve. He was in a clean set of clothes now, his own soaked in blood, but feeling worse by the minute. He asked almost every ten minutes for word on Danny but there was never an answer except the lack of news. Rebecca had waited for some time with them but was eventually forced home to care for Gracie. Steve was overwhelmed with a sense of relief when she'd left. Her crying, as quiet as she'd tried to keep it, left him unnerved and with a growing sense of hopelessness.

"I should be doing something damnit!" He shouted suddenly and kicked over a trash can making everyone in the wing jump sharply. Several staff leered unappreciative. Chin Ho Kelly stood and limped over to the battered can, up-righted it and replaced the few bits of spilled trash.

"You have done something. You kept him alive long enough for the doctors to do their work."

"Well it's not enough! I should be doing more!"

"What could you do?" Chin sniped pointedly. Steve whipped around to stare heatedly but didn't reply.

"It's been six hours! What's taking them so long?" He growled and went back to pacing tight circles.

"It means he's hanging in there you just have to let them work." Chin berated gimping his way in between McGarrett and the information desk. They settled again into uncomfortable silence and impatient trekking. The hours inched by slowly and one by one the team gave in and were slumped asleep in their chairs, snoring softly. Steve couldn't blame them but he couldn't stop moving. It seemed to him if he stopped then Danny might know he gave up and give up too. He would fail him. He couldn't do that, not to Danny. It was startling to see the morning light streaming through the window of a patient's open doored room when the doctor finally appeared.

"Family of Daniel Williams?" Steve toppled over himself to get to the doctor heart pounding with fear.

"How is he? Where is he? Is Danny awake?" The man sighed scrubbing his forehead exhausted.

"He's in intensive care for now, it seemed the best place while we wait."

"Wait? Wait for what? What's his condition? Is he going to be okay?"

"I can't really say. Surgery was tricky, he's so unstable but he held on."

"Look, just tell me how he's doing? How long till he recovers?"

"I can't tell you that." Their voices woke the others drawing them to spectate.

"Why the hell not! Why won't you just tell me!"

"Because by every medical standard Mr. Williams should be dead! I don't know why he's alive!" Steve recoiled as if slapped, mouth snapping shut sharply.

"What do you mean he shouldn't be alive?" He snarled after a moment recovering from the shock.

"The amount of blood loss his heart shouldn't have kept beating and his body couldn't maintain temperature so he suffered hypothermia, severe concussion, lacerations and punctures to nearly every internal organ."

"I need to see him. Now." The doctor gave a long suffering sigh.

"Very well. I'm told you kept him conscious far longer than was natural, maybe your luck will hold." He followed the doctor back beyond the staff only zone feeling his stomach clench with anticipation. There was an unnatural silence and utter calm that was eerie. He felt like there should be chaos and constant noise to represent the fight for their patients' lives. He was led to room in the middle of a wing and the doctor pointed him inside but went on to other patients. McGarret felt his legs go to jelly seeing Danny. He was white to the point of translucent. There were bandages over most of his body and all of them were stained with blood. He had tubes in both his arms, one in his thigh and a ventilator shoved down his throat. He pressed a palm to his forehead unnerved by the intense chill. He had an electric blanket covered by two heavy blankets but his body was still hypothermic from the blood loss.

"Aw Danno." He sighed brushing his fingers through his hair, plastered to his forehead from the cold sweat of shock. He glanced at the stats and was dismayed to see them so dangerously depressed. The doctors hadn't lied when they said by all medical standards he shouldn't be alive. A shiver shook the Jersey man. Steve thought if he didn't have the tube in his mouth his teeth would have chattered. "You gotta hang in there Danny. Cat gave the guy a sound beating. You should have seen it. He was crying and everything. I'm going to make sure he's nailed to the wall but you still have to pull through you hear me? Don't you give up." He sighed not getting any sign of awareness. It was several hours before he could bring himself to look away from Danny. He was unchanged as he left, with promise to return soon. He had to have a chat with the man they had in interrogation. He needed an explanation and it would never be good enough.

The man was stringy but was deceptively powerful. He fidgeted and squirmed in the chair he was tightly cuffed to unable to relax. That pleased Steve a little but he deserved so much worse. He continued to watch him eager to pick up on his every little tick. The only thing consistent was his anxiety and that he continued to ask for him. It was about time he gave the scum what he wanted. The man's whole demeanor brightened seeing him walk in despite the intense scowl he wore.

"McGarret I'm so happy you came to see me!" The glare Steve sent him could have made a nuclear explosion but the man didn't seem fazed.

"I only have one question for you."

"Oh yes anything. I'll tell you anything." The man leaned as close to McGarret as the restraints would allow.

"Why did you attempt to kill Daniel Williams?" His chipper attitude slipped.

"Attempt? What do you mean attempt? The little worm survived? I don't understand how he didn't die. I mean he kept writhing and crying. Lil bitch wouldn't keep still." Steve's jaw twitched with rage.

" _Why_ did you try to kill Danny?" He reiterated feeling himself go cold as ice.

"I couldn't let him continue. Your work is righteous and he was a temptation. I couldn't let you be distracted from your mission. You have to save the world. I couldn't stand for the way he seduced you. Making you lust for him with his strawberry seductions. Disgusting!" The man swore and spat like he had a vile taste in his mouth. Steve found himself staring stunned. This trash tried to kill Danno because he thought he was seducing him? He shook his head and scrubbed his forehead. He couldn't do this. There was no point. He couldn't accomplish anything talking to this lowlife.

"Book him. I can't waste my time on this piece of garbage." Steve left the man spluttering headed for the hospital.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Almost there! We've got one more chapter after this!**

Chapter 5

The beeping raked at his every nerve. Some found the regularity to be cathartic but he just wanted to smash the machine to a thousand pieces. Machines beeped, whirred and clicked incessantly. He sat silently next to the bed staring at Danny. Days had gone by unchanged. He wasn't better. He wasn't worse. The staff continued to be amazed that he still fought to stay alive. It was less of a surprise to Steve, he knew Danny was one to always claw his way out of trouble, but with the extent of the injuries it was still shocking. He was told every day he survived his chances of continuing to survive improved. They had removed a set of stitches this morning though most remained in the wounds. His wounds took longer than normal to heal given his continually weakened condition but luckily he hadn't developed infection. They said the salt pack Catherine had used had prevented any infection and kept him alive until medics got to him.

"Good morning McGarret." A nurse announced her arrival.

"Morning nurse Talbot. How's he doing?" He sat up a little higher, back popping painfully.

"Well he's hanging in there. Stats have remained steady through the night which is a first." She explained setting up a fresh bag.

"But he still needs a transfusion?" It was true it was the first night his vitals had remained unchanged. Normally he crashed or near crashed every few hours.

"Unfortunately yes. It's slowed significantly however some of the worst wounds are still bleeding sporadically and his blood pressure remains very low."

"Can't you stitch him up in surgery again to stop the bleeding?"

"Normally we would but the doctor felt he wouldn't survive another surgery that it was safer to continue to replace the blood until his condition improved."

"Oh." He sank again dismayed.

"Be glad he's made it another night. The transfusions aren't as frequent either. They may be small but there _are_ signs of improvement." She continued checking vitals and pupillary response making notes on his chart.

"But he's still not breathing on his own or responding to anything despite not being sedated. It's been six days."

"Quit whining there's not going to be quantum leaps in his recovery if he does."

"There's no if." He snapped.

"Alright alright, no need to get riled. When he recovers it'll be in baby steps. Appreciate them, and get yourself some food. You look like hell." Steve pouted as she left. He didn't obey her command though. He was staying with Danny around the clock until he regained consciousness. Kono would be by with food in few hours anyways. They were all on leave for an unspecified amount of time. The team was splintering. Chin hadn't come to the hospital once still afraid to face Danny, regardless of condition and his physical therapy had taken a step back after he wrenched his knee going up some stairs. No matter how they looked at it the team was only just holding it together. The open and shut nature of the attacker's incarceration had been a blessing, Danny wouldn't have to testify, but his stress levels were very high. It felt like there was a seed of something rotten and unescapable in the team. He didn't know why or how it had gotten there but it was tearing them apart, grinding them down to nothing. He was turning the problem every which way in his head eager to find a solution but it perplexed him like he was working a rubix cube blindfolded.

"Hey, how's he doing?" Kono set the food on the end table and looked him up and down critically. He wasn't looking his best these days with dark circles under his eyes, gaunt pinched expression from too many long nights in a row and too little food with too much of it junk. His body was beginning to protest the poor treatment.

"They say there's little improvements here and there, staying stable through the night, a few stitches were taken out, he seems the same to me though."

"Well at least there's something. Got your favorite burger, aaand a soda." She handed over the food then grabbed her own food and pulled up a chair.

"Mmmm delicious! How's Chin?" The heart monitor jumped and flickered for a moment drawing Steve's attention for a moment but it settled to normal again so he relaxed.

"Not well. I mean he tries to act like everything's fine but he gets sick at the suggestion of coming here and he's missed his last two PT sessions." There was a moment of uncomfortable silence. "We need you back."

"I know." He sighed feeling the return of guilt that frequently twisted his gut.

"I'll stay with Danny until you come back but Chin needs help. Plus you've probably got sores on your butt and need to go in traction after so long in these chairs." She stated squirming in the hard plastic for a moment. Steve didn't look at her drawing shapes in the condensation of his soda cup. She wasn't saying it but he knew he was letting them down. He was so afraid Danny would die if he left that he was neglecting the rest of his team. They needed leadership to help hold them together. He sighed heavily. She was right. He couldn't keep avoiding the world beyond Danny. He released some pent up frustration by crushing the burger wrapper and tossing it into the trash. He could feel Kono gazing at him as he slurped the last dregs of his soda. He cracked.

"You call me if he even blips funny." He barked unfolding from the chair, joints popping stiffly.

"Will do."

True sunlight against his skin actually felt good now that he was in the car the hospital long out of sight. He was anxious being away from Daniel but he was working hard to put it out of his mind. He'd checked in with Max, he made a good inter-team snitch, locating Chin at work, still. He'd made a few calls and got a PT session scheduled today. It took much apologizing and big promises that he wouldn't be missing anymore missed appointments. Steve would make sure of that. It was time he stopped wallowing and do what needed to be done.

"Chin Ho!" The man was at his desk working through a mass of paperwork.

"Steve! What's wrong is Danny okay?" He started to stand but winced, his twisted knee smarting, and settled back into the chair.

"He's hanging in there Chin. I'm here about you."

"M-Me?"

"Yes you. I hear you haven't been doing your PT. Drop the paperwork you've got an appointment in forty five minutes."

"Steve, I really need to get through all this and…"

"No, you're doing physical therapy, now." Steve pulled the pen from his hand and Chin up from the chair carefully.

"But what about…" Chin pointed to the unusually large stack.

"It'll be there. I need you back in the field so you're going to this and every other appointment I set for you."

"Steve this isn't necessary."

"It is and I won't accept argument. We're falling apart Chin. You can't deny it. You're months from being in the field and you won't look Danny in the eye and now this?"

"I'm not avoiding Danny. You think something more is going on?"

"Maybe, and that's good because we're going by the hospital. You need to see him."

"You don't need to take me to the hospital. Better to let him rest."

"No Chin, that's not gonna fly. You're going to see Danny."

"Why are you pushing this?"

"Because we have to do better than this. We're a team and I'm not letting us fall apart without a fight."


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Alrighty folks here's the last chapter for this segment! I hope you enjoyed Strawberry Seduction! There's more to come but I've been working on stories from the backburner trying to catch up so I don't have anything yet but keep an eye out for it! For those that prefer Steve whump over Danny or Chin I'll tell you now that it's his turn next!  
**

Chapter 6

He felt heavy and disconnected. There was no memory or image that he could conjure to explain how strange he felt. He could smell strawberries, strawberries and blood. It didn't make sense but he couldn't muster the energy to pursue reality. He let himself drift, sometimes hearing noises around him and sometimes not but he couldn't distinguish the sound. Pain filtered in and then filtered out.

"Danny….Danny are you…." He was surprised by the voice but it was gone before he could identify it.

"Mr. Williams….Mr. Williams…..wa…" He had this feeling that he was missing a lot of time, like it was flying past without him. He started to take an interest in things, mainly trying to figure out if he was asleep and dreaming or dead in limbo. He wasn't sure why he thought being dead was a possibility but his mind stuck to the idea.

"Hey Danno….pull…..team need…" He was drawn to this voice. His mind wouldn't supply why but of all the foreign voices he'd heard this one was important somehow. Sleep, that's what this was, he finally realized. He was fading in and out of wakefulness. But why? Why couldn't he wake up?

"Mr. Williams….blood transfusion….surgery…..eep fighting." No, he didn't want that voice. He wanted the other one back. He wanted to have some cohesion to his reality. He could smell things too. It was odd to have a sense of smell when he could hardly hear and see nothing. Sometimes there were chemical smells he recognized when he went to morgues or hospitals and other times there was the scent of gunpowder or the water and salt. He couldn't explain it but he wanted the return of these last few aromas. They meant good things.

"Easy Danno calm down, just rela…." He faded again. He yearned for clarity. He couldn't stand not understanding what was happening around him, to him. Each time he tuned in he could hear more for longer but without context, names to the voices and where he was it only served to confuse him.

"Hey Danny….I know I haven't been here for a lon…..sorry….should have done mo….protect Grac….Steve say…..hold together….family….pull through…." He hated to sink away again. He hadn't heard this voice in so long. He wanted to hear it again. He'd wanted it to come for a long time, before whatever happened had happened even. An intense chill seeped into his bones.

"Cold."

"It's okay Danno, I'll get you another blanket." He frowned. He hadn't realized he said anything out loud.

"Steve?"

"I'm here Danno. Can you open your eyes for me?" He was exhausted again.

"Mmm?" He felt himself melting into oblivion again.

"No no stay with me D…" The ceiling. It took him unnaturally long to realize he was staring at it or identify what it was. Blinking was exhausting let alone the effort it took to turn his head towards the sound of snoring.

"Steve." He mumbled confused. The man snorted and jumped up not quite awake until he scrubbed his eyes and shook his head.

"Danno! You're awake, eyes open and everything!" He jumped up to lean steeply over him. The swift movement blurring his vision. He gulped back nausea and moaned trying to look away. "Hey hey, don't go to sleep on me now."

"T're'd" He tried to swallow thickly. His mouth felt like it was full of sand until ice chips fell into it and he almost choked by the surprise.

"Easy Danno, savor them. Here let me get the bed up a little." Being upright, and his mouth now wet he did feel a bit more steady in reality. He found he could manage a shaky gaze at Steve. He looked tired, and old.

"What?" He struggled with one word let alone managing stringing any together.

"You were cooking in the kitchen when a man entered and tried to stab you to death. You don't remember anything?"

"S'all fuzzy."

"Well that's not surprising. You're in pretty bad shape. They've got you doped up enough to be a drug supply."

"How…" he gulped back more bile, "long?" Steve didn't answer immediately taking a long swallow from his coffee.

"Well it was four weeks before you woke up the first time and you've been in and out, mostly out, for the next two weeks so about six weeks." Danny drifted for a few minutes then shook his head and blinked back to semi-awareness.

"That…long? Grace, need to….see…"

"I know but it's going to be a while before you're in any condition to see her." Danny's mouth dropped open to complain. "No don't argue. It's been six weeks before you had any real consciousness and you're barely managing it now."

"But…"

"No Danno. I'm not negotiating. The doctors had to be strong armed just to let me stay. You're still in real bad shape. The doctors don't know why you're still alive. That's how close it came Danny." There was a strange edge to Steve's voice that made the Jersey man hesitate. He found himself distracted by a sudden intense scent but he slipped into sleep even before Steve could ask him what was wrong. There were a series of flashes of people, sounds and smells before he truly woke again. He was feeling immensely stronger which he thought was strange.

"Hey, it's good to see you awake again. I was beginning to wonder if you were going to sleep through to next year. Chin said if we got a New York pizza shipped in you'd wake up." Danny sucked in a sharp breath and pushed himself to sit up further surprised when he succeeded.

"How long was I out this time?"

"A week and a half. You look a helluva lot better now."

"M'I gonna live?" He licked his lips, mouth full of cotton and got a cup of water for his efforts.

"Yeah looks like you're stuck with us a while longer, unless you get lazy on me. Which is quite possible given how long you're going to be stuck in here."

"How many days. Always hated….hospitals." Danny shook the cup and got a refill. He felt like a fish desperate for water. Steve laughed.

"You're not in for days Danno, think more along the lines of months, weeks if you're lucky and behave." Danny groaned and thumped his head back to the pillow.

"I want to see Grace." Steve had that grin that he hated so much. It made him feel suspicious.

"She'll be by tomorrow after school. It's just a short visit though Danno. You're being held together mostly by glue still."

"Oh." Danny muttered frowning and shifting as if uncomfortable.

"Danno, what's wrong?" He was starting to go a little pale and greenish. He shivered a little pulling at the blankets, trying to cover himself more, suddenly feeling cold.

"It's nothing. Just the strawberries, the smell is making me a little…" He gulped sharply, "queasy." Steve eyed him warily and scowled sharply.

"Danny, there's no strawberries." Danny lunged to the side and vomited violently.

He was finally, sort of, alone. The hot spray of water felt glorious against his skin despite the lousy plastic chair rubbing against his bare skin. It had taken an immense amount of debating to get them to let him take this shower in semi-privacy. Chin was sitting just outside the door back turned to the bathroom. It was the best he could get. His legs were jelly under even the smallest weight despite being nearly three months into his hospital stay. The doctors were all pleased but he was just frustrated and angry. He felt overwhelmed and claustrophobic. When doctors were poking and prodding him Steve was needling him about his emotional and mental status, kept wanting him to talk, medical researchers were hounding him to let them study him. They wanted to know why he was still alive. The intense smell of strawberry filled the room making his chest constrict and the visage of blood splashed across his body. He crushed his eyes closed for a moment and when he opened them again the blood was gone but he was sucking in sharp succinct breaths struggling not to hyperventilate.

"You okay Danny?" He was startled by Chin's call then clenched his jaw in a flash of anger.

"I'm fine!" He didn't mean to snap but he did. He was thankful that Chin didn't call him on it. He inhaled slow and deep trying to calm his racing heart as he grabbed for the bottle of shampoo. The mood swing to rage and subsequent panic was getting harder to control. They all saw it and Steve hassled him constantly about helping him getting through it but he rebuffed him every time. Any time they broached the subject of the attack he pushed them away. He knew it was wrong. They could help, but he couldn't bear the thought of talking about what little he did remember or being told details of what he couldn't recall.

"Hey Danny, doc says you've got five minutes left in there." Danny sighed. Once he was back in the main room he'd be back in the middle of the circus. He felt so tired. "Danny, you hear me?" He heard Chin start to stand and check.

"I'm good, getting the towel now." He made quick work of patting himself dry. The doctors lectured if he scrubbed at all, something about opening up new wounds. Getting dressed was difficult. He still had to sit in the chair and his body was stiff and sore. Chin helped him up and back to the bed. He'd been overly attentive since they broke through the awkward tension and had now swung to the other extreme.

"Grace wants to visit. She's afraid you won't be up for it again."

"I know I know. She still hasn't seen me. I just…"

"You don't have to explain to me Danny. I get it." Danny silently eased against the mattress.

"Gracie can come tonight, no cancellations this time. I want to see my little princess." He decided right there to push aside the anger and fear. He survived after all against the odds he'd been told. He had to man up and get over this, he _would_ get over this and he wouldn't acknowledge the self-doubt shredding a cavernous hole in his chest, no matter the cost.


End file.
